MERCED, CA — Teachers from throughout the San Joaquin Valley will spend a week in beautiful Yosemite National Park to learn about ecology, stream hydrology and related scientific topics at UC Merced's first annual Summer Science Institute for Teachers, during the week of July 21 through July 25.
The 7th - through 12th - grade teachers will join Dr. Sam Traina, Director of the UC Merced Sierra Nevada Research Institute, to track relationships between topography, stream flow and water quality parameters. They will link the hydrologic and physical characteristics to the chemical composition of stream water and study human impacts on streams and river systems.
“Teachers will gain new scientific knowledge from these highly interactive lectures and experiments, and bring their new insight and enthusiasm back into the classroom,” said Traina.
A typical day at the Institute will begin with a lecture at UC Merced's Yosemite Station located in Wawona. The remaining part of the day will be devoted to field sampling and stream analyses in the south fork of the Merced River. California State Science Standards will be addressed for several grade levels, including earth & life history, evolution, motion, force, reactions, density & buoyancy, biology & life sciences, and earth sciences.
Application forms are available by contacting Helen Sullivan, Director of Professional Studies, at (559) 241-7414 or helen.sullivan@ucop.edu. The registration fee is $620, which will include all meals, lodging, materials and instruction for the five-day program.
UC Merced, the 10th campus of the University of California system, is the first major research university to be built in the United States in the 21st century. Currently employing approximately 120 educators and professionals, UC Merced has a special mission to serve the educational needs of the San Joaquin Valley. The University's main campus in Merced is scheduled to open in 2004 to serve 1,000 students. Over the coming decades, the campus is expected to grow to a student population of 25,000. UC Merced contributes to educational access through the entire San Joaquin region via educational and outreach centers in Fresno and Bakersfield, and the Tri-College Center in Merced.
